Lead Solutions Architect

Job Description:

Purpose:

The Lead Solution Architect is responsible for providing senior technical and architectural leadership across the Salesforce practice, designing and overseeing comprehensive Salesforce solutions that align with client goals and technical requirements.

The role provides strategic technical guidance across client engagements, ensuring scalable, secure and high-quality architecture while supporting the development of technical standards, capability and best practices across the wider team.

Working closely with clients, delivery teams and practice leadership, the Lead Solution Architect translates complex business requirements into effective technical solutions, provides technical oversight across projects and supports the continued development of Architects, Technical Leads and Developers within the organisation.

Role Description:

• Designing and overseeing secure, robust and scalable technical architectures and Salesforce solutions while working with multiple client and internal stakeholders. Leading design workshops to understand business processes and recommend solutions that meet client needs.

• Act as a senior technical authority across Salesforce engagements, providing architectural guidance, technical assurance and escalation support across complex or strategically important projects.

• Ensure technical quality and strong Salesforce solution design principles are followed, leveraging deep technical expertise to advise teams and clients on architecture, development and platform best practices.

• Lead and support technical delivery teams throughout the project lifecycle, working with Delivery Directors and Tech Leads to ensure agreed Salesforce solutions are delivered within scope, quality and time expectations.

• Create and oversee the breakdown of Salesforce solutions into requirements, estimates and technical dependencies, supporting project planning and delivery activities.

• Provide technical oversight across development, integrations, CI/CD, testing, deployment and defect resolution, ensuring appropriate engineering and Salesforce standards are maintained.

• Perform and oversee architecture, solution and code reviews to ensure quality, maintainability and adherence to agreed technical standards.

• Define, promote and continuously improve technical standards, development practices, architectural patterns and ways of working across the Salesforce practice.

• Support technical resource and capability planning, identifying skills gaps and helping ensure projects have the appropriate level of technical leadership and expertise.

• Provide technical leadership during presales, discovery and solution-shaping activities, supporting estimates, solution approaches and technical responses for new and existing client opportunities.

• Act as a trusted technical advisor to clients and internal stakeholders, supporting complex technical decisions, platform strategy and Salesforce roadmap discussions.

• Support the evaluation and adoption of new Salesforce technologies and capabilities, contributing to the longer-term technical direction of the practice.

• Manage and mentor members of the technical team, including Architects, Technical Leads and Developers, providing coaching, feedback, performance support and career development.

• Support recruitment, progression and succession planning across the technical team, helping to build and maintain strong technical capability within the organisation.

• Foster a positive, collaborative and high-performance technical culture focused on quality, accountability, continuous improvement and professional development.

• Manage the technical handover of projects with customers, Managed Services and other internal teams, ensuring appropriate documentation and knowledge transfer are completed.

• Collaborate with clients, project teams and senior leadership from a technical perspective across Salesforce solutions and a range of industries.

Desired Skills:

• Minimum of 7+ years' experience delivering enterprise Salesforce solutions, including significant experience operating as a Solution Architect or equivalent senior technical role.

• Strong experience leading the architecture and technical delivery of complex Salesforce implementations.

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Strong background across Salesforce platforms and cloud solutions, with in-depth knowledge of Salesforce architecture, development best practices and project delivery methodologies.

• Significant experience leading technical teams throughout the software development lifecycle and providing technical oversight across multiple projects.

• Experience designing custom Salesforce functionality using technologies including LWC, Apex, triggers, Flow, asynchronous processing and data migration approaches.

• Experience designing integrations between Salesforce and other systems using Salesforce APIs, web services, Salesforce Connect, MuleSoft and other middleware technologies.

• Extensive knowledge of Salesforce out-of-the-box functionality and the ability to determine the appropriate balance between configuration, custom development and integration.

• Strong understanding of development standards, source control, CI/CD, deployment processes and technical governance.

• Experience supporting presales, technical discovery, solution shaping and estimation for Salesforce opportunities.

• Excellent leadership and people management skills, with experience coaching, developing and managing technical team members.

• Strong judgement and proven ability to work creatively and analytically when solving complex technical and delivery challenges.

• Ability to balance technical quality, client requirements and delivery constraints while providing clear technical direction to others.

• Multiple Salesforce certifications preferred, with architecture-focused certifications highly desirable.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Dentsu, we embrace diversity and inclusion, valuing the unique perspectives and contributions of every individual. We believe that diversity fuels creativity and innovation, benefiting our employees, partners, and communities.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic. Beyond recruitment, we strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work.

We are a Disability Confident scheme user. If you consider yourself to have a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, you will be guaranteed an interview.

We recognize the importance of work-life balance and are open to discussing flexible working arrangements for all roles. If you need reasonable adjustments due to a disability or medical condition during our recruitment process, please contact us at accommodations@dentsu.com, quoting the reference number of the role that you are applying for. Your needs will be handled with respect and confidentiality to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience.

About Dentsu

Dentsu is an integrated growth and transformation partner to the world’s leading organizations. Founded in 1901 in Tokyo, Japan, and now present in over 145 countries and regions, it has a proven track record of nurturing and developing innovations, combining the talents of its global network of leadership brands to develop impactful and integrated growth solutions for clients. Dentsu delivers end-to-end experience transformation (EX) by integrating its services across Media, CXM and Creative, while its business transformation (BX) mindset pushes the boundaries of transformation and sustainable growth for brands, people and society.

This job description is a summary of the essential functions of the job, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all job responsibilities, tasks, and duties. The responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the jobholder might differ from those outlined in the job description. Other duties, as assigned by the supervisor, might be part of the job.

#LI-Hybrid #LI-Merkle

Location: Dublin

Brand: Merkle

Time Type: Full time

Contract Type: Permanent